Bringing Batteries Back from the Dead

And despite the unholy name, it’s proved a blessing for Auckland business Upcycle.

It sounds devilishly simple: a special processing machine grinds used batteries to a powder that’s used for producing new batteries.

But it’s a first for New Zealand. The old batteries are shredded and processed to form a black mass – hence the name - containing high amounts of lithium, manganese, cobalt, and nickel. Reuse of these metals to produce new EV batteries helps reduce the need to mine new materials – a good outcome for the environment.

Auckland recycling business Upcycle General Manager Scott Yoon says there have been challenges around exporting used EV batteries. Until now, they had to be discharged and exported as dangerous goods.

But the black mass machine solves that problem as the batteries are no longer dangerous goods once in the powder form, making them easier to export - and the world market is hungry for the product.

The batteries go through several steps and processes to break them down to a powder.

Scott expects the number of EV batteries coming in for disposal to increase markedly as they come to the end of their useful life, which is usually around eight to 10 years.

He built a machine to discharge the batteries before they are processed, which are then soaked in saltwater for a week or so to ensure they are completely dead.

And it’s not just EV batteries that are being ground down but small home use batteries - AAs and AAAs, watch batteries and EV bike battery packs. The only batteries Upcycle don’t process are mercury batteries.